planet ISSUE 4 I 2016 HOCKEY magazine
GUATEMALA HOCKEY LONDON’S CHAMPIONS TROPHIES BREAKING THE EAST/WEST DIVIDE
ISSUE 4 2016 20 56 INTERVIEW: TWENDE: 74 ABOUT PASSION CHANGING LIVES 2016 AWARDS It has been awards time over & GOALS THROUGH HOCKEY at the International Hockey Federation, with players, Lauren Penny, former 38 coaches, officials and hockey international player and founder enthusiasts everywhere of the Hockey Performance asked to cast their votes. The Academy took some time to NEW ERA nomination lists spanned the chat to two of the u21 players continents but in the final who will be representing the FOR GUATEMALA voting there was a distinctly African defending champions, orange feel to the top honours. South Africa. 62 BREAKING THE EAST/WEST REGULARS 44 DIVIDE 24 UNDER COVER Editor’s notes 7 YOUNG PLAYERS EXCITEMENT Sally joins the team 11 Speed of Hockey READY TO TAKE Indoor hockey took England by storm for a four by Lauren Penny 12 CENTRE STAGE week period over January 68 as the outdoor league took Gone Dutch: While the best senior and break and all the action CAPTAIN A Canadian on teams in the world will turned to the short game. Sabbatical to Hockey’s be eyeing Rio as their big target this year, the next COURAGEOUS Promised Land generation of hockey stars by Lauren Logush 17 have their own seminal ENTERS RECORD moment at the end of the year when the Junior Hockey World Cup gets BOOKS underway. 50 It was the 2012 Olympic Games that saw Kate Richardson-Walsh break KNOCKOUT into public consciousness after she courageously led HOCKEY EVENT Great Britain to the bronze medal despite suffering a As the domestic season broken jaw in the middle 32 draws to its conclusion, of the pool matches. Until Stephen Findlater and then, Richardson-Walsh MATIAS SHINES Sarah Juggins had been well-known in preview the dramatic final hockey circles, now she had AT COPA DEL REY competition to be played. become a national hero.
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EUROPEAN EDITOR / DEPUTY EDITOR Sarah Juggins
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HAVE YOUR SAY! www.planethockeyforum.com CHAMPIONS
TROPHY BY TWO By Sarah Juggins
o, both the men’s and women’s Champions Trophies are to Sbe held in London, four years after the ‘Smurf Turf’ was a star attraction at the 2012 Olympic Games. For many of the players this will be a step back in time, with some great and not so great memories. Great Britain’s Kate Richardson-Walsh may ruefully rub her face and remember both the pain of playing through the horrific injury that left her jawbone shattered, and the ecstasy of winning a bronze medal. For Jaap Stockmann, London was all about disappointment after the Netherland’s ‘keeper produced save after save to keep his team in the final, only to see the ball slipped past him, after a poor clearance in the dying minutes of the match, sending the gold medal back to Germany. But that was then, and this year it is all about another date with destiny… in Rio. The teams that line up for the Champions Trophy in London will be in the final stages of preparation for their Olympic journey and that is why the action at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be nothing short of spectacular. Hockey venues around the world have shown they can put on a great show. The 2014 World Cup in the Hague was a fantastic feast of hockey, with a vibrant, orange-clad atmosphere every time the Netherlands took to the pitch. Whichever venue is hosting an event in Argentina, you can be certain that the moment the first notes of the Argentine national anthem plays, until the final whistle blows, the stadium will be rocking to the tune of the blue and white spectators. And it is the same in India – the crowds love to see their national heroes in action and the cacophony of sound is unbelievable at times. However, what London managed to do in 2012, was make the stadium feel like a home crowd no matter what nation was playing. The capital city is such a multi-cultural hot-potch, that, no matter what nations were playing, there was always a sizeable ‘home crowd’. And if Great Britain were not playing, then the crowd would good-naturedly get behind whichever team needed the most support.
planet HOCKEY 7 Whether the Champions Trophy events will create the same buzz remains to be seen. Certainly England Hockey are already pulling out all the stops to make it a spectacular showcase. The EuroHockey Finals, held at the venue last June, were an indication of how successful a hockey event could be. Every England game was a sell-out and the final afternoon was as noisy and excited as any sports event gets, but there were also matches where the spectators stayed away and the players performed to a handful of family members. The difference between the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2015 EuroHockey Finals was that the former event was part of a multi-sport experience. People wanted to go to the Olympics – no matter what the event. And hockey was one of the events which had a large capacity and relatively cheap tickets. At the EuroHockey event, it was largely hockey fans who were attracted, and there are only so many of them. The beauty of using a venue for major events in quick succession is that you can tweak things and learn from mistakes. England Hockey will have gathered a lot of feedback from the EuroHockey event. They will know that the ‘Hockey Village’ was popular; that the street food was, on the whole, well-supported – although the food of some nations was better received than others! They will know that if it rains, there is a dearth of shelter; they will know that the army of volunteers are nothing short of fantastic; and they will know they have to get their ticketing levels right if they are to attract people from a wider cohort than just the hockey community. The women’s Champions Trophy was always going to be in London, the men’s event being moved there at this late stage is both a bonus and a challenge to England Hockey. The bonus is in having yet another major international on home turf and the kudos that gives to the hosting nation; the challenge is in selling the event to a public that falls in and out of love with hockey with indecent haste.
Sarah Juggins Deputy Editor, Planet Hockey
NB: Here at Planet Hockey, we believe in audience participation, so email/write/tweet to me and share your thoughts on all things hockey - twitter: @sjuggs15
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10 planet HOCKEY SALLY JOINS THE TEAM
ally Munday has been chief executive of England Hockey since 2008 and, during Sthat time, she has overseen a revolution in hockey in England and Great Britain. She was given the MBE by Queen Elizabeth in 2013 and has won admirers around the hockey world for her straight talking and clear-sighted vision for hockey’s development. Under Munday’s leadership, England Hockey – which is the national governing body for hockey in the UK and is responsible for both the England Hockey teams and teams representing Great Brit-ain – has become a professional, commercially-aware entity. The 2012 Olympics were a huge suc-cess story for England Hockey with thousands of people, who had never really watched the game, flooding through the gates. Sally Munday has always worked in sport, firstly for the Lawn Tennis Association and then for Eng-land Hockey in a regional development role. She was also team manager for Slough Hockey Club, which at the time was one of the pre-eminent clubs in Europe, and for the south of England region-al team. One of the things that makes Sally Munday such a successful chief executive is the fact that her career pathway to the top has encompassed so many roles in hockey along the way, giving her a unique understanding of how the sport works at all levels. The next few years are important times for Munday and her team. One of her dreams was to cre-ate a home for hockey in the UK and the Lee Valley Hockey Centre on the Queen Elizabeth Olym-pic Park is proving worthy of the title. This June, Lee Valley is hosting both the men’s and women’s Champions Trophy and next year, the men’s Hockey World League Semi-Finals will be held at the venue followed by the women’s World Cup in 2018. For Munday, this is all helping to create a legacy of hockey in the UK. Talking about the busy inter-national fixture list she says: “We have an exciting few years ahead of us and having a facility like Lee Valley is a fantastic tool for us to engage the public with our sport and really stimulate some national pride in supporting England’s hockey teams. It is also a huge benefit to the local clubs and schools in the area who will use the pitches, which is of the utmost importance.” With Munday committing to continue in the role for the next few years, England Hockey and its fu-ture are in good hands. The great news for readers of Planet Hockey is that Sally has joined us as a regular columnist, so you will have a chance to hear her views first-hand. l
planet HOCKEY 11 SPEED OF HOCKEY By Lauren Penny
n the modern game, speed can be a huge advantage. I It could be the difference between winning a 50/50, closing down a dragflicker at a short corner, bursting into space which creates a dangerous attack or making that crucial interception. When talking about speed in hockey, there are however various things to consider. The first thing to note is that during a game most players will change direction at least every five seconds. It will usually take roughly 50m for the average player to reach top speed, which means that in a game of hockey, unless you see a player sprinting the distance of half the pitch in a straight line, hockey players tend not to reach top speed. Speed is about how fast you can sprint at maximum velocity whereas acceleration is reaching top speed as quickly as possible. Acceleration is typically the first 10-20m, even five metres, which could be the difference between gaining possession or not. Therefore when I refer to speed in hockey I am referring Ashley Jackson shows great acceleration. Photo by Grant Treeby, predominantly to acceleration and agility. Speed is a very broad topic and can be quite complex so for the sake of this article I will focus on a few basic concepts to improve acceleration over a short distance. There are three primary areas which can be trained to improve acceleration:
1) Increase stride frequency 2) Increase stride length 3) Improve sprinting mechanics
Stride frequency refers to the number of steps taken where methods of overspeed training such as running downhill are often used. Stride length methods focus on exerting more force (strength) into the
12 planet HOCKEY Jamie Dwyer moving – and hitting the ball – at top speed. Photo by Grant Treeby, ground at foot strike, although it is not just about the amount of force but also how quickly that force can be produced (power). That means that the a large part of acceleration comes from strength and power. A simple way of improving acceleration is by lifting a combination of heavy and light loads and doing basic plyometrics. Here are a few guidelines for improving your speed in hockey:
1. You must warm up Before doing any form of speed based training you must take at least 10-15 minutes preparing your body and mind for what you are about to do.
2. You must sprint at 100 per cent In order to get faster you must sprint at 100 per cent, which means that getting enough rest between sprints becomes crucial. There is a difference between training for speed and training for endurance.
3. Work on flexibility and mobility The hips in particular are extremely important when it comes to speed so make sure you do plenty of mobility exercises, stretching and foam rolling.
4. Develop a stable core The core is essentially the muscles which link the upper body to the lower body. Having a stable core is key to being faster, maintaining control and staying balanced. Medicine balls and stability balls are great tools for this.
5. You must pre-condition Sprint training places great demand on the body so pre-conditioning
planet HOCKEY 13 is essential to prepare the body to withstand these forces. Doing too much too soon could result in injury. Make sure you have a good strength base before undergoing sprint work. Remember the stronger you are, the more force you can apply to the ground.
6. Sprint training shouldn’t take longer than 10-15 minutes Always do sprint work first. Remember speed training is not about making you tired, it’s about making you faster and improving your technique.
7. Mechanics are important When accelerating you should aim to lean your body at a 45 degree angle to the ground, driving the foot down into the ground to create maximal force. During acceleration the foot should strike directly below or slightly behind the hips.
One of the exercises I use for teaching linear acceleration mechanics is the wall drill. Lean your body 45 degrees to the ground with your hands against a wall, keeping your arms parallel to the ground. Your feet should be behind your hips and your core should be tight. Your body should form a straight line from head to toe. Raise your right leg so that the ankle is beneath the hips and then march alternating legs. Keep your focus on maintaining core control and driving the feet into the ground. Many struggle just to hold the correct posture so make sure you start slowly with a one count and hold, then progress to a three count and hold, up to a 10 count.
In this article I have focussed on linear acceleration, but agility is also a large part of hockey speed which has various mechanics and techniques for changing direction quickly. l
For more hockey fitness advice and for ways to improve your hockey visit: www.hockeyperformanceacademy.com
ABOUT LAUREN PENNY A former International Hockey Player and Performance Coach specialising in the mental and physical parts of sport, particularly helping others to be more confident, consistent and improve their fitness. After missing out on u18 national selection Lauren travelled to England to play hockey. Six years later, while still living in England, she made her debut for the senior South African national team. She believes it was her mental training that made the difference this time. Her international playing career was cut short after struggling with several injuries. While recovering from frozen shoulder (which put her out for 18 months), she realised her passion was to help others with the lessons she learnt throughout her own experiences. Most of her injuries were as a result of either overdoing it or what she refers to as conflict in one’s belief system, i.e. fear of success. The mind/body connection is extremely powerful and her coaching methods addresses the unconscious barriers that hold many people back from reaching their potential. Her purpose is inspiring others to realise what’s possible with the right mindset, helping them to prepare for success and develop that inner confidence that makes us feel unstoppable.
14 planet HOCKEY London, England Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10-26 June 2016 www.greatbritainhockey.co.uk/gbtickets planet HOCKEY 15 HOCKEY
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Connect with your friends, get in-the-moment updates & watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle. GONE DUTCH: A CANADIAN ON SABBATICAL TO HOCKEY’S PROMISED LAND
’m Lauren Logush, 20 years old, and a member of both the Senior and U21 Canadian Women’s Squads; currently playing a season in The I By Netherlands with HDM Den Haag. I’ve been Lauren Logush a member of the junior team since 2010, and the senior team since 2011. I’ve earned 22 senior caps so far, my first when I was 17 at Hockey World League Round 1 in Trinidad and Tobago. August 26th, 2015 was the date I first set foot in The Hague, Netherlands, the place I would call home for the next seven months or so. I had booked my flight just 10 days earlier. During the first week of August, I was able to spend a rare week in my hometown of Richmond Hill, Ontario, following my return from an 11 day, 1,100km biking/
camping/surfing tour of the Pacific Northwest Coast. My hockey, however, Photo by Frank Uijlenbroek that year had been disappointing. I was discouraged after being left off the selection for a few tours with the Canadian Senior Team, and was beginning to panic that, at 20 years old, I had reached a plateau. It was then that I received a call from Haagse Hockeyvereniging Haagsche Delftsche Mixed – thankfully better known as HDM – especially since I’m still not entirely sure how to properly pronounce that. The Netherlands has often been regarded as the hockey superpower of the world; I witnessed this myself as I sat in the stands, enduring the summer heat of Monchengladbach, Germany, and watched their U21 team fend off Argentina in a shootout to claim the title of 2013 Junior World Champions. I’d listened to stories from both former coaches and teammates who’d played countless seasons across the pond. The following seven months would be filled with a lot of hockey, adapting to a new way of life, and a heightened sense of Canadian pride. I had absolutely no idea what to expect upon my arrival. I mean, orange is my favourite colour, espressos my favourite type of coffee, house music among my favourite genres and cycling a favourite activity, so I figured I wouldn’t be completely lost. Well, despite falling off my bike a few times Connect with your friends, get in-the-moment updates since being here, it’s been an amazing ride. & watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle.
planet HOCKEY 17 Photos by Frank Uijlenbroek
I was instantly taken aback by the infrastructure of hockey. Hdm, for example, has a clubhouse with resident changing rooms for the first men’s and ladies’ teams, showers, lockers, a bar/restaurant, an indoor hall, physiotherapy rooms and a gym, along with two water based turfs, a semi-water turf, and two sand pitches. I didn’t play on a water turf until I was 15 and attending my first Junior National Team camp, having to fly five hours across the country to access it; whereas six year olds are beginning to train on it here. The hockey culture in The Netherlands is another reason I’ve fallen in love with playing in this country. The clubhouse is filled with families on Saturdays as it is the day of the youth competition, and on Sundays, with spectators to watch the senior teams compete. I remember walking around the neighbourhood during my first couple of weekends and seeing countless kids wearing their hockey uniform, often riding their bike to and from the pitch. I couldn’t believe it, it was like nothing I had seen before. I also recall the first time I rode my bicycle while yielding a hockey stick and recreationally wearing hockey socks; I was practically giddy with amusement. It was so Dutch! Looking back, I’m still slightly embarrassed at the mass Snapchat I sent. There was also quite an adjustment period upon moving here. First and foremost: Dutch. I had never spoken a word of the strange language prior to my arrival, but was constantly assured by friends that “Everyone speaks English”. In retrospect, most of these people had never been to The Netherlands, and especially hadn’t played for a Dutch sport team, so I’ve also learned to better apply a filter to the advice I receive. I was extremely fortunate to have a very welcoming team, and one other international who was also coming for the first time – a player with the German National Squad. That being said, every group setting is in Dutch, along with most of the hockey talks both on and off the field. I would rely on teammates to relay the information in English, but eventually became able to deductively translate with the words I know, a base knowledge of the content of the conversation and interpreting body language. Largely due to the lessons from my teammates and numerous shameless attempts at conversation (being able to pronounce the letter ‘G’ took two months), it is my humble opinion that: Mijn Nederlands spreken is heel goed! Finally, being the only Canadian that most of my teammates know (jury’s still out on whether or not that’s a good thing), I’ve often found myself reflecting on what it means to be a Canadian hockey player. I’ve described the very small and intimate hockey community in Canada, stories of hardships and triumphs and am often solicited for some of my Canadian apparel. Each time I relive these moments, I feel that small swell in my heart, the Yeah-that’s Canada! emotion. Coming to The Netherlands to play has been fantastic for my hockey, the sheer volume and base skill level proves that, but it’s also helped me expand my horizons as a person and continue to instil a deep-rooted sense of Canadian pride. l
18 planet HOCKEY SAY HELL O - to - CHARLOTTE Quailified Skin Specialist
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ABOUT PASSION & GOALS By Lauren Penny
he Under 21 Junior World Cup Africa Qualifying tournament will be T held in Windhoek, Namibia from 18-28 March. This tournament will determine which of the two African men’s and women’s teams will represent the continent at each of the respective World Cup’s later this year. There will be nine men’s teams competing at this tournament including South Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tansania and Zimbabwe. Eight of these will teams feature in the women’s tournament, with the exception of Egypt. Lauren Penny, former international player and founder of the Hockey Performance Academy took some time to chat to two of the u21 players who will be representing the African defending champions, South Africa.
Tarryn Glasby is a dangerous striker who possesses skill, vision, athleticism, pace, flair and lethal finishing abilities. She made her debut for the SA u21 team at the 2013 Junior World Cup at the age of just 17 years, making her one of the only SA players who will take part in two Junior World Cups. The 21 year old has won various accolades including being named the top goal scorer and most promising player in the U21 Women’s IPT in 2012.
Ryan Julius is a skilful and tricky midfielder who has been part of the SA u21 team since 2015. He was part of the Western Province u21 team and the WP senior men’s B team who both won gold at the 2014 IPT’s. The 20 year old recently made his senior international debut against Ireland on 18th January 2016.
What are you hoping to achieve in the upcoming Junior African Cup in Windhoek?
Tarryn: Firstly and most importantly, I am hoping to be a part of the process of achieving the goal that has been set out by our u/21 SA team. This is to be crowned the winners of the tournament, so that we can compete in the Junior World Cup in Chile later this year. My aim is to score as many goals as I can or set up goals for my team mates.
Ryan: I definitely want to come back from Namibia with a gold medal around my neck. I believe we have a team that can achieve that and the one thing
20 planet HOCKEY that makes me very confident is that everyone in the team is Ryan Julius on the same page. We all want the same thing and that is to win AFCON and qualify for the Junior World Cup.
What are your ambitions for the future?
Tarryn: Playing for the South African Senior side has always been a dream of mine, so I would definitely love to one day represent my country at that level. After I finish my degree, I would also love to go overseas and play professionally. Photo by Sean Burke Ryan: The one thing I hope for is that SA Hockey gets the credit that it deserves and hockey grows to an extent where it becomes a paid profession in South Africa. For myself, I want to work hard to make sure I continue to make appearances for the SA Men’s Hockey team and be able to represent my country at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and other prestigious events. I would love to play in Europe in the European Hockey League and one-day play in India in the Hockey India League. I also want to give back to the game by hosting and joining clinics to grow eager hockey player’s techniques and abilities.
How did you come to start playing hockey?
Tarryn: I have three older siblings who all played hockey, so I used to watch them play and I immediately loved the game and wanted to give it a try.
Ryan: I played baseball from the age of four, moving onto soccer, tennis and then I made the transition to hockey at the age of 13. I made my first provincial team at the age of 13 and ever since then my love for the game grew dramatically.
Who has encouraged and supported you?
Tarryn: I have always been very blessed with a solid support system from my friends and coaches, but I am especially thankful for my parents for all the support they have given me. This has had a major impact on my perseverance and success that I have achieved up until today.
Ryan: My parents have always supported me and have my best interest at heart. Although they are my biggest critics, they have taught me to be humble and always work hard which is one of the most important lessons I have learnt. I have also been blessed immensely with the best coaches throughout my hockey career who have always supported me and given me good advice; not just for hockey but also for life.
planet HOCKEY 21 Who do you look up to?
Tarryn: Luciana Aymar, because she has been dominating international Tarryn Glasby hockey for so long. From a local perspective, Tarryn Bright has always been someone I look up to.
Ryan: Austin Smith. Watching him over the years has made me realise that there is more to hockey than just skill and technique. He is very professional when it comes to maintaining fitness and looking after his body. He has achieved so many accolades throughout his hockey career and yet he is so humble and always pushing himself to reach new goals all the time. He is the epitome of a true sportsman and hopefully I will get the chance to play alongside him one day. Photo by Frank Uijlenbroek
What is your current training regime? And how much time do you dedicate to training?
Tarryn: I am in my third year at Stellenbosch University and part of the Maties hockey High Performance training program. This involves three gym sessions, four evening training sessions (skills and fitness) and two- lunch time training sessions. Each of these sessions are usually 1.5 to 2 hours each.
Ryan: I have club training 2-3 times a week, totalling six hours of training which excludes matches on Saturdays. For my own training I go to gym about three times a week for core and muscle strengthening. I also really enjoy running and I commit to three running sessions a week.
What has been your biggest challenges so far?
Tarryn: Managing my time effectively and trying to balance my hockey and academic commitments. Both of these take a substantial amount of time and effort in order to excel which is why it’s important that I remain close and connected to both my family and friends.
Photo by Sean Burke 22 planet HOCKEY Ryan: Trying to balance studies with hockey commitments is always a challenge.
Why does this all mean so much to you?
Tarryn: Since I was a kid I always remember telling my dad how I would one day play for South Africa and with this I wanted to inspire younger players to believe that they too could achieve anything that they truly put there mind to.
Ryan: When I started playing at the age of 13, I knew immediately that this was the sport I wanted to pursue. I was raised to enjoy sport and I grew very competitive, which helps to stay focused and remain on top of your game. I think because I constantly continued to learn and grow as a player, the sport continued to cultivate inside of me. If I look back on the time and effort I have put in thus far, it has become apart of my life and that’s why it means so much to me.
What do you believe it takes to become a great player?
Tarryn: You naturally need to be talented, but I feel that it goes a lot further then natural talent. I believe that the most basic foundation is a passion for the game. If players enjoy being out on the turf, they are more teachable as they continuously want to learn. Other traits that I feel they should possess, is that they should be intrinsically motivated and determined to achieve their goals that they have set out for themselves. I also believe that it’s Photo by Frank Uijlenbroek important that they have a high level of self-belief, so that when they get pushed to their limits, they persevere and have confidence in there own abilities.
Ryan: One is that you must never think you bigger than the game, you always have to work harder than everyone else, always stay humble and believe in yourself. For me, personally I believe that one must permanently set goals, not just realistic and comfortable goals but implausible goals that can become genuine with hard work and determination. l
planet HOCKEY 23 Stars in the making… Germany’s Charlotte24 Stapenhorst. planet HOCKEY Photos by Frank Uijlenbroek
planet HOCKEY 25 While the best senior teams in the world will be eyeing Rio as their big target this year, the next generation of hockey stars have their own seminal moment at the end of the year when the Junior Hockey World Cup gets underway.
he next few months see the attack, Pakistan came back through continents deciding who Muhammad Yaqoob just before will be representing them half-time to make it 2-1. This was T at this blue riband event, only a temporary setback however which takes place in Santiago, Chile to the team in blue as they extended from 24 November to 4 December their lead to 3-1 as the half-time for the women, and India for the whistle went. men, from 1-11 December. In the second half, India doubled As we go to press, the Asia Junior their score, with Armaan Qureshi Hockey Cup has already been played, and Manpreet Singh adding two field with the Pan American Women’s goals alongside Harmanpreet Singh’s event taking place in March and penalty corner. Pakistan scored a the men’s event in June. The Africa consolation through Muhammed Junior Cup will also be taking place Dilber but it was too little, too late in March. Here, we report from for the three time champions to Malaysia on the Asia Junior Hockey make a come back. Cup and hear from some of the The bronze medal went to Korea players in the Pan Am region as they after they beat Japan in a cagey prepare to battle for a place on the 2-1 match. This match was the biggest stage for junior hockey. culmination of a good tournament It was India all the way in the for Korea’s Shahril Saabah, who was Men’s Junior Asia Hockey Cup as named Player of the Tournament. they defeated Pakistan 6-2 in an Kim Sung Yeob and Ji Woo Chen exhilarating display of attacking scored two early goals for Korea, hockey at the Wisma Belia Hockey and despite a sustained attack from Stadium in Malaysia. the Japanese in the closing minutes In the eighth edition of this of the game, they could not find tournament, man of the moment a way past Kim Gil Myung in the was Harmanpreet Singh, who scored Korean goal. four penalty corners, three of them Malaysia finished fifth after a in the first half of the match. dominant display that saw them India had taken a 2-0 lead in the beat Bangladesh 8-0 and China beat first quarter of the game through Oman 7-2 to finish seventh. Singh, catching Pakistan on the There was no surprise that back foot with the speed of their Harmanpreet Singh won the Top
26 planet HOCKEY Florencia Habif.
planet HOCKEY 27 Pan-Am bronze medallists USA lining up at 2013 Junior World Cup.
Ghana take on Russia in 2013 Junior World Cup. Asian giants China battle with Korea in 2013 Junior World Cup.
Goalscorer award – he scored a in the top four places – India, total of 14 goals, and two other Pakistan, Korea and Japan – is awards went India’s way – Harjeet automatic qualification for the Singh, India’s captain, won Man Men’s Junior World Cup, which of the Match for his performance takes place in New Delhi, India in in the final and Vikas Dahiya was December 2016. Goalkeeper of the Tournament. Japan won the Fair Play Award. PAN AM PREPARATION This year’s final was the third time UNDERWAY these two teams had met in the final, Who will be representing the Pan with India’s latest victory giving them American region will be decided the upper hand. It also means both through two events: at the end of sides have now won the title three March (29th March to 10 April), the times each, Pakistan in 1987, ’92 and women’s event will get underway in ’96, while India won in 2004, 2008 Trinidad and Tobago, while in May and this year. Malaysia and Korea are (20-28th May) the men are off to the other two teams to have their Toronto in Canada. names on the trophy. The Junior Pan-American The prize for the teams finishing Championships started in 1978 for
28 planet HOCKEY Bronze medallists India in action at Junior World Cup.
Pan-Am champs Argentina against the men, with the women’s event Africa champs South Africa at 2013 Junior World Cup. commencing 10 years later. The Championships take place every four years, with qualification for the Junior World Cup the ultimate prize. In that time, it has been an almost total Argentinian domination. The men have won every edition of the tournament, the women have been beaten only once, by the USA. Argentina’s dominance of the Pan-American competition doesn’t translate so readily onto the subsequent Junior World Cup competitions; since 1979 when the first men’s Junior World Cup was held, Argentina has won the competition only once, in 2005, after picking up silver in 2001. The men’s also only won the Junior World Cup competition at junior world level has once, in 1993, but they also won been dominated by Germany, who silver on three occasions, in 2001, has won six of the last 10 editions. 2009 and at the last edition in 2013. The Argentina women’s team has The success, or lack of it, on enjoyed more success, they have the wider international scene
planet HOCKEY 29 Christoher Ruhr on way to Junior World Cup glory.
is something that coaches and with Guatemala, Brazil, Venezuela, managers will address in later articles Jamaica and Uruguay missing from in this series. the competition, there is bound to For this year’s event, excitement be an intensity to the matches as the and anticipation surrounding the teams battle to qualify for the Junior sport generally will create an intense World Cup. atmosphere. With Argentina’s senior Some familiar names emerged men and women, the USA women, from the previous edition of this Canada’s men and the Brazilian competition. For the men, it was the men’s team all competing at the Rio Gonzo show as Gonzalo Peillat of Olympics, excitement and interest in Argentina was crowned top scorer hockey across the continent will be and also named as player of the high. This will be reflected in these tournament. His counterpart for the Junior Pan-Am Championships, women was Florencia Habif, who particularly as some of those young was player of the tournament, with stars may well be playing on the Manuela Urroz of Chile taking the most prestigious stage of all, just a top goalscorer award. Among the few weeks later and hockey fans will many players to emerge from the be eager to see the players in action. 2012 Junior Pan-Am Championships Eleven women’s teams and eight to take their place within their senior men’s teams will be competing teams were Abigail Raye, Lauren at this year’s Junior Pan-Am Logush and Adam Froese, both Championships. The figure is of whom played leading roles for slightly down on the previous Canada in the Hockey World League edition as 13 men’s teams lined events in 2015, Denise Krimerman up to do battle in 2013, but even from Chile and Jordan Reynos, who
30 planet HOCKEY has played more than 30 matches at senior international level. Gonzalo Peillat. So let’s take a quick look back at some of the previous Junior Pan- Am Championships, starting with the men’s competition. While the gold medal has gone to Argentina on every occasion, the runner-up spot has been more varied. Chile has always performed well at these games and has taken the silver medal in the men’s event on four occasions. The Chile team has also finished in third place three times, coach Alfredo Castro will be hoping both the men’s and women’s teams will be among the medals this year. The very first edition, held in Mexico City, Mexico, back in 1978 was a match between Argentina and Chile – a match that signalled the first of Argentina’s unbeaten run. Canada has appeared in three finals, most notably in the last edition of the event in 2012, when the north American side pushed Argentina all the way in a tense 3-2 match. Goals from Gordon Johnston and James Kirkpatrick gave the Canadian side hope, but goals from Joaquin Menini, twice, losing out to Argentina by a Joaquin Coelho and Peillat were 7-1 scoreline back in 1997 but then enough to seal victory. nearly causing an upset when they The other side to appear in the took them to a tense 2-1 scoreline final on three occasion is Cuba, in the 2012 edition. Two goals from although the last time they did so Julia Gomes – now a key part of was 1996 and the team seems to the senior Las Leonas team – was have lost its way since then, finishing enough to break Canadian hearts out of the top four spot ever since. in that final. Karli Johansen was the One team that has teetered on the Canadian goalscorer. edge of the medals has been the The players, coaches and team USA men’s team. They took bronze staff are now in the final stages of in 2008, after beating Canada on a preparation for these tournaments. penalty shoot-out. Until that year, In what is a huge year for hockey, the USA side had been perennial the Junior Pan Am Championships is fourth place finishers. perhaps one of the most important The women’s event began events for hockey in the Pan Am in 1988 with a match between region because it provides a signpost Argentina and the USA. It is a fixture for the future of the sport. Who that has been repeated on two will emerge as heroes, who will more occasions, with Argentina make their mark on the game? emerging victorious both times – by When the players line-up for the a 5-0 and 3-1 margin. Despite this, matches in Trinidad and Tobago or the USA is the only other team to lift Toronto, all thoughts of their future the trophy. They did so in 2008 when will be far from their minds, but they beat Chile 2-1 after extra time. how they perform on that platform Argentina had to settle for bronze on could be crucial for both their own that occasion. international careers and the future Canada has also taken silver of hockey in their country. l
planet HOCKEY 31 32 planet HOCKEY The Spanish Copa del Rey has a long history, starting back in 1914. Since then it has been dominated by four clubs: RC Polo, Atletica Terrassa, Club Egara and Club de Campo. And, as Joan F. Chico reports, RC Polo continue to lead the way as they eased to a 28th title. 34 planet HOCKEY It was the end of an era for Egara’s Edi Tubau who announced his retirement from international hockey after winning 300 caps in a 15 year career with the national team.
he Copa del Rey came to a thrilling climax after a great three days’ of hockey competition at the Eduardo Dualde T pitch. The final was between The Royal Club de Polo of Barcelona and Madrid-based Egara, with the Catalan team winning the exciting match by a single goal. Argentinian striker Matias Rey was the hero on the day, as his 53rd minute strike won the title for the home side. In the earlier matches, Club Egara beat Junior FC in the first quarter-final, with Atletico San Sebastian beating RS Tenis while SPV Complutense lost to Club de Campo. The big match of the quarter finals saw the reigning champions Atletic Terrassa take on the hosts Club de Polo. Going into the tournament, Atletic had 16 titles to their name, while Polo were 27-time champions. However, Club de Polo made short work of Atletico’s aspirations for a 17th title as they swept them aside in a 4-0 rout. The home side beat Club de Campo 1-0 in the semi-final and set up a show down with Egara. In the final, on home turf, Polo had the best of the chances but could find no way past the excellent defences of Quico Cortes. He saved several times from Xavi Lleonart who had the best chances to score while Edi Tubau was Egara’s main threat. Alex Casasayas hit the post from point-blank range while, at the far end, Pep Romeu’s corner shot was denied by Mario Fernandez, later named goalkeeper of the tournament. But, with time running out, Rey got a brilliant touch to a corner move to lift the ball over Cortes and win the tournament for Polo for the 28th time. It was the end of an era for Egara’s Edi Tubau who announced his retirement from international hockey after winning 300 caps in a 15 year career with the national team. During his career, Tubau won silver at the 2008 Olympics, bronze at the 2006 World Championships and gold at the 2005 Europeans. Tubau confirmed the decision after he initially took a break in the wake of the 2014 World Cup, taking on a new job and following the birth of his daughter. The results mean that Club de Polo will represent Spain in the EHL again next year. Winning is definitely becoming a habit for Club de Polo. Not only is this the Barcelona team’s 28th Copa del Rey, it is also their third win in the tournament in the past four years. This is in addition to three straight league titles. The team will hope this form continues into this year’s EHL KO16, where they once again meet Egara.
planet HOCKEY 35 36 planet HOCKEY In the third/fourth place match Club de Campo defeated Atletico San Sebastian in a 5-2 thriller. Goals from Luis Martinez, Leandro Tolini (3) and Joaquin Menini put the Madrid team in the driving seat and into bronze medal position. l
Player of the tournament: Matias Rey (RC Polo)
Top scorer: Peio Azkoga (Atlético San Sebastian)
Goalkeeper of the tournament: Mario Fernández (RC Polo).
planet HOCKEY 37 Photos 38courtesy planet HOCKEY of National Hockey Association of Guatemala planet HOCKEY 39 For a developing hockey nation like Guatemala, where there are no artificial turfs for hockey, not just in the country, but in the region, an award that gives you a new pitch with lighting must seem like all your red letter days have come at once.
he Asociacion Deportiva Nacional de our problem is the access to these pitches, because the Hockey de Guatemala won the 2015 Pablo football is too popular and it takes all time slots. And the Negre Trophy, an annual award given by the owners of the pitches will not let us to play hockey on TInternational Hockey Federation (FIH) to a the turf because they think we will damage the surface. national association which has either worked hard to “The dedicated pitch will help to develop hockey develop hockey in the country or has shown outstanding in all Central America. Guatemala will be the principal dedication to embracing the spirit of the sport. beneficiary, of course, but we want to share this award In the case of Guatemala, it seems both criteria have with our neighbours.” been met and the result is a brand new pitch from FIH Hockey has been developing at pace in Guatemala, partners Polytan STI, while Musco Lighting will provide driven on by Reyes and his enthusiastic team, but, as the and install a free lighting system at a designated location President says, it has sometimes been a slog. “We had the within Guatemala within the next few months. full support of the Guatemalan Olympic Committee and President of the Guatemala Hockey Association is the PAHF when we started our journey 10 years ago but Pablo Reyes. He says: ‘The award is fundamental for us you have to bear in mind that, in the first five years, there because it means we can take our hockey to the next weren’t many balls and sticks – in fact no-one sells them level. Currently there is no hockey pitch in the whole of in Guatemala – few places to play, few teams to play. To Central America. There are synthetic football pitches but keep the interest of the people was not easy.”
40 planet HOCKEY Nonetheless, the national association founders persisted and followed a simple but effective strategy. First they got the 15-25 year old men involved because, says Reyes, “they are the ones that play the most sport.” Many of these players were physical education teachers so they introduced the sport into schools and clubs and began to target the 10-14 year olds. Eventually, sisters, friends and relatives also began to take an interest in playing the game. “Speaking about it now, I make it sound easy,” says Reyes, “but believe me, it was a very hard work. We heard the word ‘no’ more times than ‘yes’. Also, it was not only getting players, the most difficult part is to retain them.” There are now more than 250 registered hockey players in Guatemala, and Reyes says, there are many more players who participate in schools but do not yet play regularly. “The club structure is not developed in Guatemala as it is in Europe, but we have a couple of clubs playing hockey,” he says. “The best way to get involved in hockey is through the schools, specially private schools. We have teaching and development programmes in a dozen schools in Guatemala City and Sacatepéquez – in the central region of the country.” Reyes also adds that hockey adheres to a strict equity policy. There is a gender balance and the sport is played by people across the economic spectrum. “We try to give opportunity and access to all, because one of the main social problems is the lack of opportunities for the lower start of society. We strongly believe that sport is a tool for development and equality and the
planet HOCKEY 41 investment has already benefited many of the players in way we want if we continue just playing locally. We have the national team.” to have an “international agenda” to show the Sports The development of hockey in Guatemala was given Confederation of Guatemala and Guatemalan Olympic a boost in 2012 when the Association was recognised by Committee that we were a serious team sport.” the Sports Confederation of Guatemala. This meant the Even before the promise of a pitch, things were sport could access funds, which in turn meant entry into heading in the right direction. Since 2012, both the international events, the implementation of development men’s and women’s team have a world ranking (59 programmes and wider promotion of the sport. and 67 respectively); they both competed for the In addition, since 2006, the Guatemalan Olympic first time in the Caribbean Games and the Central Committee, with the technical support of the PAHF, American Games – where the men took first place and has supported coach, umpire and judging courses and the women second. provided funding to pay for travel and coaching expenses The next step in the development plan is to build a for the national teams. Currently five Guatemalan Hockey Academy where the elite and promising players coaches have been funded to go on training courses run can train and play. This, Reyes believes, will help the sport by FIH and they are now all working as head coaches filter down and become more sustainable. within the national team structure. Pablo explains that For the future, there are short and long-term a lack of a pitch or even a hockey base for the national objectives. Both the men and women will play in Hockey team has caused problems: “It is not easy to have high World League Round One and later in the year they will level coaches because you have to send them to other compete in the third Central American Indoor Hockey countries, which costs time and money. To do the Championship – an event where Reyes expects both necessary training for top level coaching in Guatemala, teams to shine. without an official pitch limits the progress.” The big target is the 2017 Central American Games in But the advent of a new pitch heralds a new era and Managua. hockey is included in the programme for the Reyes explains the Association’s growth strategy: “As first time and Reyes has high hopes that Guatemala will President, I understand that hockey can’t grow in the be the first name on the honours board. l
42 planet HOCKEY HOCKEY
instagram.com/teamplanethockey/
planet HOCKEY 43 44 planet HOCKEY Indoor hockey took England by storm for a four week period over January as the outdoor league took and break and all the action turned to the short game.
Photos courtesy England Hockey
planet HOCKEY 45 here was a synergy to the final at SSE Wembley Arena as top club sides East Grinstead and Canterbury battled it out to top the podium in both the men’s and women’s National Indoor Hockey T Championships, and it was the Surrey side, East Grinstead who emerged victors both times. Great Britain’s David Condon was the two-goal hero for East Grinstead as the men beat their Kent rivals by a convincing 5-1 scoreline. The women’s game was a far closer affair, with Dutch international Malou Pheninckx scoring two goals to give her side a 3-1 win. For East Grinstead men it was the eighth indoor title in a row. Simon Faulkner, Ross Stott and Josh Coniglio all scored to add to Condon’s double strike. Although Canterbury struck back through Liam Foster, it was a case of déjà vu for the Kent side who lost out to Grinstead just as they did the previous year. It was East Grinstead who struck the first blow, four minutes into the game. Simon Faulkner found the target via the crossbar with a bullet strike after a well-worked penalty corner routine. Canterbury quickly evened things up when Ross Gilham-Jones cut
46 planet HOCKEY the ball back to Foster who slammed it home. Canterbury began to exert pressure on the East Grinstead defence. A terrific piece of individual play from Harry Jawanda forced Paddy Smith into a superb sprawling save, keeping the scores level. It was a further 10 minutes before East Grinstead were able to break down a determined Canterbury defence. This time Ross Stott broke free and lifted a lovely finish into the roof of the net. Neither side was giving an inch in the second half until scored his first – slotting in a lovely low finish in the 26th minute. This was followed by a lovely individual goal from Josh Coniglio. Canterbury went for a time out and came back with no goalkeeper as they searched for a way back into the contest. The gamble backfired as Condon lifted the ball past the kicking back for his second and his team’s fifth. Some resolute defence kept them at bay as did the crossbar which was struck by a rocket from Kwan Browne. The clock ran down and East Grinstead celebrated an eighth win in a row. The women’s final was a keenly contested affair, with Netherlands striker Malou Pheninckx striking the first blow for East Grinstead in the
planet HOCKEY 47 opening minute and then scoring a double with just seconds left on the clock. Takara Haines scored the other Grinstead goal and Sarah Kerly scored Canterbury’s only goal. It was Canterbury who had a lot of the pressure in the first half, with former Canterbury ‘keeper Becky Waters, pulling off some miracle-like saves to keep the ball out of the Grinstead net. The pick of these saw Waters diverting Grace Balsdon’s shot over the bar with her face mask. Canterbury continued to knock at the door and Waters was at her imperious best once again to smother a chance for Lizzie Neal as the score remained 1-0 to East Grinstead at the interval. Both sides had their chances, former England defender Mel Clewlow stopped a certain goal calmly on the line, while at the other end, her Canterbury teammate, the South African striker Dirkie Chamberlain blistered the woodwork with a shot. Time was ticking away but with nine minutes to play Canterbury got their equaliser. With the ball hitting a foot in the circle the umpire played advantage
48 planet HOCKEY and Sarah Kerly was on hand to snap up the loose ball to tie it up at 1-1. East Grinstead rallied and re-took the lead from an excellent penalty corner from Takara Haines with five minutes to play. Canterbury withdrew their goalkeeper as a last throw of the dice. There was a moment of high drama almost immediately as the Kent side won a penalty corner. Once again the jet-heeled Waters arrived at the edge of the circle to block this time from Anna Kolarova. With Canterbury throwing it all forwards, East Grinstead made it safe with under a minute left as Pheninckx grabbed her second to clinch the title. Earlier in the day, Canterbury had secured their place in the men’s final with a fantastic 9-6 win oover Reading, while East Grinstead had defeated outsiders Sevenoaks in a 6-3 contest. The women’s semi-finals had seen Canterbury put paid to the hopes of Birmingham University, while East Grinstead had defeated last year’s champions Bowden Hightown. The results mean both East Grinstead men and women will compete in the European Hockey Federation Indoor Hockey Club Championships in 2017. l
planet HOCKEY 49 50 planet HOCKEY As the domestic season draws to its conclusion, Stephen Findlater and Sarah Juggins preview the dramatic final competition to be played.
Photos by Frank Uijlenbroek
planet HOCKEY 51 Jelle Galema – Oranje Zwart.
here is the usual air of anticipatory excitement will be looking to use their inside knowledge to beat the as the top European men’s clubs get ready Dutch team in their first match of the KO16. for the KO16 EHL Club Championships. The Talking about the meeting between the two sides, T annual tournament is a smorgasbord of exciting drag-corner specialist Mink van Weerden says: “Luckily hockey action as the top 16 men’s teams in Europe do we know these guys [van Strydonck and Dabanch] so battle to be crowned champions, and this year is no we can decide on a good plan to play against them. Elliot different. The event takes place from 26-28 March in is a very good defender but is also able to attack over Amsterdam, Netherlands. the left and right hand side, so our strikers will have to be Last year’s winners Oranje Zwart will be looking aware where on the pitch Elliot is and they will have to to recapture the crown but player movement in the defend very hard. intervening few months means there is a lot of frisson to “Gaby is a skillful forward who is very dangerous inside this year’s competition. the circle. He can score from all angles with his powerful Eliot van Strydonck and Gaby Dabanch were both part backhand shot and is very dangerous on deflections as of the OZ team that lifted the trophy last year but the duo well. And then there is his penalty corner. Our goalie have since moved to Belgium side Royal Leopold and Vincent Vanasch will have to be in good shape!”
52 planet HOCKEY Chicote Marc Garcia – Club Egara.
Eliot van Strydonck & Gaby Dabanch were both part of the OZ team that lifted the trophy last year but the duo have since moved to Belgium side Royal Leopold and will be looking to use their inside knowledge to beat the Dutch team in their first match of the KO16.
planet HOCKEY 53 KO16 – RESULTS 25 & 26 MARCH
WKS Grunwald Poznan 2 - 7 KHC Leuven Rot Weiss Köln 5 - 3 UHC Hamburg KHC Dragons 1 - 1 Atlètic Terrassa (2 - 3 SO) Racing Club de France 1 - 6 Kampong Dinamo Kazan 1 - 5 Harvestehuder THC Real Club de Polo 3 - 0 Club Egara Wimbledon 1 - 3 Amsterdam Oranje Zwart 2 - 1 Royal Leopold HC
Talking about OZ’s chances this year, van Weerden there was someone else who would make the difference.” says: “Luckily we know how to hit form at the right For Scotland striker Kenny Bain, the KO16 is a reward time. Last year’s EHL was awesome. It was incredible for several years in a hockey wilderness. Bain has been to win the title and especially in the way we did it. playing with Dutch team Hurley for the past five seasons, That shootout series in the final will stay with me for but last season he made the hop across Amstelveen to a very long time! join Amsterdan – a team full of “stars and big pros.” “I think our performance last year came from the Bain, whose grandfather passed away just before fact that we had an insane amount of talent in our team, the EHL Round One, says: “That was an extremely but we were able to play to our task and every game difficult time for me off the pitch but the team was
Leon Willemsen – Harvestehuder THC.
54 planet HOCKEY Kenny Bain playing for Amsterdam.
absolutely brilliant and, of course, they were still getting hoping that Davey Harte continues his fine form between to know me too. They saw a really open side which was the posts, giving the Dutch trio Constantjin Jonker, not one I wanted to show when I was meant to be having Sander de Wijn and Robbert Kemperman a platform from an amazing trip. which to attack. “When I got there, it took a lot off my mind and I WKS Grunwald Poznan and Dinamo Kazan are the enjoyed every second. Also, my girlfriend flew over as two teams who have appeared in every edition of this Hamburg – it is her home town – so that was nice to tournament. Poznan exited at the group stages last year, have her and her family there for me.” while Dinamo Kazan pushed the finalists UHC Hamburg Bain will now take to the field against English club all the way in a 1-0 loss last year as they searched for side Wimbledon for his first KO16 appearance and it will their first KO8 finish. be made all the more special because it is in front of the The German trio of Rot Weiss Koln, Harvestehuder hone Amsterdam crowd. THC and UHC Hamburg are all seeking to restore German Among some of the hockey stars looking to make domination of the event. Harvestehuder were champions their mark on EHL history will be Pau Quemada, who in 2013/14 and UHC Hamburg were beaten in devastating is hoping to lead KHC Leuven to victory in their first fashion – 5-6 on penalty shoot-out. appearance in the KO16 since 2010. Kampong, the third If this year’s event is anywhere near as eventful and of the three Belgium teams in the competition, will be dramatic then hockey spectators are in for a treat. l
planet HOCKEY 55 56 planet HOCKEY Photos by Valentina Quaranta/Silvana Zancolo
planet HOCKEY 57 he scene is a dirt-based hockey pitch on the Coach to both Twende and the Tanzania national outskirts of Das El Salaam in Tanzania. It is women’s team is Valentina Quaranta, and she arranged 4.30am and a handful of young women are for a film crew from Italy to follow the squad throughout T running around the pitch as they warm-up for their preparations for HWL Round One. It is just one a training session. No two players look the same: some more trick in her box as she attempts the most daunting have shin-pads and trainers, others wear socks around of challenges – to raise the standard of hockey in their ankles but no protection. Some have very old sticks, Tanzania so the national team can be competitive on the others are clasping the latest model. Their playing kit is an world stage and, at grass roots level, the sport is played array of colours and brand names. across the country. The purpose of the film is to raise As the session continues we see the players taking the profile of the team in both Tanzania and across the it in turns to run through one set of training ladders world, hopefully attracting sponsors and supporters and a handful of cones. Equipment is limited, but in the process. later we see the coach sifting through bags of equipment Although Quaranta would demur, it is largely that has been donated by hockey clubs from Europe, through her drive and ambition that hockey in Tanzania particularly Italy. is developing at a cracking pace, both at international This is the Twende women’s hockey team and they and grassroots level. In a short two years, the women’s were being filmed in the weeks leading up to the 2014 team entered the 2014 HWL Round One event for the Hockey World League Round One for a documentary – first time ever, and a year later at the 2015 Africa Hockey called Twende! – which will be released in 2016. Championships, both Tanzania men’s and women’s Most of the Tanzania national women’s team are part of hockey teams entered the competition after undergoing the Twende club, the name means “Let’s Go” in Swahili some of the most intensive training the national players and the club was formed to promote hockey to women have experienced. and girls in Tanzania. Since 2012, the African nation has really begun
58 planet HOCKEY to embrace the sport, largely due to the drive and women. Yes, playing sport is giving them self-confidence, determination of a small band of coaches and staff led health awareness and addressing a myriad of other issues, by Quaranta, an Italian national who came to the country but it also highlights to western eyes, just how much while working for the NGO COPE. A former player and we take for granted. Some of the players interviewed coach, she quickly realised that her skills and knowledge for the film show the camera crew around their homes. of hockey could be used to great effect for developing They show their accreditation passes for tournaments the sport and, through the sport, improve the lives of in Kampala and Kenya. A calendar with a picture of the people in Tanzania. young women in their national playing kit hangs on a wall The film highlights the importance of hockey to and is a prized possession. And yet, these players, who the girls at Twende club. One mother says: “I like my are representing their country, live in one-room homes, daughter to play hockey, if she is exercising then she is where the whole family eats, lives and sleeps. They train keeping off the streets, keeping away from the bad guys.” at dawn for several hours before they go to school or go But the film demonstrates more than the part that to work and they have minimal possessions. Twende is playing in improving the lot of these young As one mother says: “I understand that to be good,
planet HOCKEY 59 my daughter must train, but if she trains and plays all the but, as Quaranta says: “We learned a lot and some time, how will she earn money. She needs money to eat improvements have already been made.” Many of the and, to be able to train hard, she must eat.” Kidawa is one challenges faced by the teams were logistical – finding player who is combining everything as she pursues her funding for training, transport and accommodation were dream of being an international. She trains every morning chief among these challenges. before working eight hours as a hairdresser. She looks Now the Tanzania Hockey Association is looking very after her children as she cuts hair and then leaves them much to the future as it prepares to send a team to the in the care of the eldest children while she attends the Junior African Olympic Qualifier, which will be played in evening training session. Namibia in March this year. This is the first time Tanzania One of the aims of the programme is to help the has fielded an U21 side. “Nowadays in Tanzania, there are players develop careers around hockey. The idea is new young players who didn’t know there was a sport for the players to be trained as teachers or coaches so called hockey until two years ago,” said Quaranta. that when their playing career is over, they can give “Participation in this tournament will be a big step back to the game and make a living. For other players, forward in the development of hockey among young representing your country at a sport guarantees you a people in Tanzania, it means the sport is spreading among career in one of the government services – the army, the the youth in this country. police or as guards. It is not just at elite level that hockey is spreading Quaranta first became involved fours years ago in Tanzania. Through an initiative between Dutch club after she was persuaded to stay on in the country after Rijswik and the Twende Hockey Club in Tanzania, the her role with COPE ended. Now, hockey in Tanzania Twende Foundation has been created. This foundation is flying. True, the men’s team registered only one win aims to spread playing and coaching knowledge across – against Botswana – at the 2015 African continental the country and part of the programme includes cultural championships, while the women lost all of their matches exchanges between the Netherlands and Tanzania.
60 planet HOCKEY Quaranta explains: “Twende’s focus is to support “Most of this team, 90 per cent of this team started the development of hockey in schools through playing four months ago. Many have not even played on training teachers and players and collecting hockey a proper pitch. I see the amazement on their faces now equipment and coaching material from Europe. It will when the television cameras and newspapers turn up to also help support the national teams with high level do a story on them. No-one knew the existence of this coaching and help the Tanzania Hockey Foundation sport before, now women’s hockey is in the public eye. find sponsors.” “They train every day, they are regularly in the national Meanwhile, in another demonstration of just how papers, but everything is new to them. They will be going far youth development has already come in Tanzania, out of the country for the first time. This is a real life the first Schools Hockey Tournament took place in experience.” November in the capital city Dar Es Salaam. More than Zuwena was one of the players who went to Nairobi 200 youngsters took part in the event, representing seven for that first HWL Round One event. Becoming an primary schools and five secondary schools. Running international hockey player has completely changed her parallel to the tournament was a coaching course, run life. “Before I started playing hockey, my life was very by the Twende Foundation and attended by 18 school different. After cooking dinner for the family I would go teachers and 30 young players. It’s aim was to give the out on the streets. I was a bad girl. Now, I go to training potential coaches the basic tools necessary to coach from 5.30am until 11am. Then I cook for my family before school children and grassroots players in clubs. going for a second training session. I hope I will get a job Returning to the documentary, Quaranta is talking through hockey, maybe with the guards, the police or the about the HWL tournament, which took place in Kenya. army. But I will never leave hockey.”l
planet HOCKEY 61 Photos by Yan Huckendubler
62 planet HOCKEY ention hockey in Canada and most people will think of ice- hockey. Kids grow up wanting to be Wayne Gretsky and the shirts worn bear the logos Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto M Maple Leafs or the Edmonton Oilers. Nowhere is this more true than on the snowy side of the country – the east. In Canada, there is a definite west/east divide when it comes to hockey. The sport is popular on the west coast, particularly British Columbia, where the temperatures and lack of snow mean the sport can be played all year round. Head east and it is a different matter. With three months of heavy snow and temperatures reaching depths of -25C, playing hockey is a difficult ask. Indoor hockey is keeping the sport alive in the east, but for hockey fans, finding a club is difficult to say the least. In Ottawa, for example, the local league has dwindled down to a few clubs with a limited number of players. However, two local players wanted their children to have a chance to play the sport they love and so they started, from scratch, structures to allow them to discover and play hockey. The upshot is two clubs which both have more than 100 players and field teams in various age group – U12, U14 and U16 – competitions. One of the clubs is the Nepean Nighthawks FHC. This club was started by Sandeep Chopra, himself a national level umpire and his wife Maureen, who played for the Canadian women’s national team and participated in the 1995 Pan American Games). Maureen’s sister, Michelle Conn is an Olympian, having represented Canada at the Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 Olympics. Two other members of the Nepean Nighthawks were in the
planet HOCKEY 63 Canadian Team that won a silver medal at the last Youth Olympics, and a couple are on the provisional roster of the U21 Canadian Team ahead of the 2016 Men’s Junior Pan Am Championships. Sandeep talks about the programme. “About seven years ago we decided to attempt to start a small programme to introduce field hockey to kids in our community, mostly friends of our own children. “Nearly everyone of the kids who joined were ice hockey players in the winter and since this is Canada and kids will play anything with the word ‘hockey’ attached to it they began showing up in numbers that really surprised us specially considering field hockey had virtually gone extinct in Ottawa. It wasn’t just about the hockey for Sandeep and his family. “We are really building a community and though our vehicle is hockey, we wanted to introduce our kids not only to a new sport but to a family-oriented culture
64 planet HOCKEY that involved people of many backgrounds. That is the Canadian way for us.” Such has been the growth of the Nepean Nighthawks that the club is struggling to provide for everyone. With nearly 200 youngsters in age group teams, plus a senior women and a ‘Mom’s learn to Play’ programme, the club is always on the look out for coaches and umpires. To fill this gap, the club runs certification courses for potential umpires and coaches, which in turn creates employment and volunteering opportunities.
planet HOCKEY 65 The lack of hockey clubs in the region means that finding opposition is always a challenge. In the earliest days of the Nighthawks incarnation, the teams had to travel 500 kilometres to Toronto for matches. However, the birth of Chelsea Phoenix FHC just across the river, has led to a friendly but intense rivalry between the two clubs. Ian Bird is the brains and driving force behind the Chelsea Phoenix. A former international and a double Olympian. Ian represented Canada in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and again in Sydney in 2000. He moved from Vancouver to Ottawa 15 years ago for work, but was determined to bring hockey back to the area. History was on Bird’s side as there had once been an active hockey scene in Quebec, triggered by the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, but it had alldwindled to extinction in the last 10 years. Bird and his fellow enthusiasts have been rebuilding the hockey scene and the new club in Chelsea became the only active club in the province – the name ‘Phoenix’ refers to the rising of the club from extinction. “We simply started and used what was available to us rather than worry about what was missing,” explains Bird. “The beautiful thing about hockey is that all you really need are a bag of sticks, a few balls, and a field. After a few years, and now that we have about 100 players and volunteers, the needs are growing and we’re glad to have friends in hockey to help us. Our nearest hockey neighbours in Ottawa, the Nepean Nighthawks, have made such a difference for us. We hope to do the same for the next group.” Bird is helped in his work by a band of enthusiasts, and no-one is more excited and driven by the thought of a growing hockey scene in the east than the Shelley Fraser, who is club chair for the Chelsea Phoenix. Fraser explains the motivation behind her own involvement: “From a parent’s perspective, we were looking for a new opportunity for the kids. An approach that was family friendly… meaning - multi-age drop offs, more
66 planet HOCKEY collaboration, cultural exchange and richness, and an exciting experience in an inclusive environment. “We soon discovered that getting the club off the ground was more about “Can-do”, not ‘what are the obstacles?’. In the beginning, we played on a bumpy grass field, which technically, was not even a ‘real field’. Parents came out and helped. Ian ran skills development drills and a lot of “have fun” in the process.” And all the hard work is paying off, in 2015, for the first time in years, there was a Quebec team in the U16 National Championship. The team lost out to Alberta for bronze in a match that Bird describes as a “heartbreaker.” The Olympian is also using his contacts with his former club, West Vancouver FHC, which is the largest club in Canada and with former teammates now coaching in the States to organise road trips for the young players. Closer to home the club have many fixtures with the Neapean Nighthawks and they will also head to Toronto for three to four weekends every spring. Talking about his work with the Chelsea Phoenix, Bird explains: “Field hockey has had such a substantial impact on my life - the best of friends, great memories from training and matches, and grand adventures with club and Canadian teams. I thought we could create that kind of an opportunity in Chelsea, Quebec where I now live and where field hockey had slipped out of the public eye. And Fraser adds: “It was never about the Nationals. It was always about the kids learning and having a good experience. The magic happened when the kids discovered that the game was fast ... it was like soccer on speed ... only with a stick in your hand. Girls loved it anyway but when boys discovered how cool it was, they were hooked. Endurance. Speed. Agility. Excitement. Summer + Hockey Stick + Soccer Strategy = Field Hockey Hooked. Who knew?” l
planet HOCKEY 67 68 planet HOCKEY It was the 2012 Olympic Games that saw Kate Richardson-Walsh break into public consciousness after she courageously led Great Britain to the bronze medal despite suffering a broken jaw in the middle of the pool matches. Until then, Richardson-Walsh had been well- known in hockey circles, now she had become a national hero.
Photos by Frank Uijlenbroek
planet HOCKEY 69 70 planet HOCKEY Her medal tally is immense, although that bronze medal and the gold medal from the European Hockey Championships in 2015 certain have pride of place.
n the recent six match test against Australia, Richardson-Walsh was again in the limelight, this time proving that not only is she captain courageous, she also has remarkable staying power. Since making her debut in 1999, IKate Richardson-Walsh has represented her country at three Olympic Games, four Hockey World Cups and four Commonwealth Games. Her medal tally is immense, although that bronze medal and the gold medal from the European Hockey Championships in 2015 certain have pride of place. In the fifth match against the Hockeyroos, Richardson-Walsh strode into the record books, becoming Great Britain and England’s most capped female hockey player, with 365 caps to her name. Assistant coach to the team Karen Brown had held the record for over a decade and she was on hand to see her own record go: “While the record is not something I have thought a great deal about over the years, now that it has been broken, a part of me will be sad to see it go. However, as with all records they get broken one day and Kate has had such an incredible career that it is fitting that such an inspirational athlete who I have had the privilege to see grow from the quiet teenager that I played alongside towards the end of my career, into the hugely influential leader and skilled hockey player that she has become.” Coach to both England and Great Britain Danny Kerry added: “Kate exemplifies many many qualities you wish to see at the very highest levels of sport, however the one quality that sticks out to me above all others, and the one I feel is within all truly great players, is that of resilience. Kate’s longevity and perseverance in the international game has seen incredible low points, but has consistently found a way back and this quality has meant she has achieved medals at Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic level. “This was never more evident than when Kate broke her jaw in the opening game of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Having had surgery to plate her jaw back together, and having only missed two matches, Kate came back to lead the team to Team GB’s first team sport medal in 20 years. I could describe countless other examples of this resilience. Kate, like other high achievers in the Olympic domain, finds a way to keep going, keep pushing herself on and has been an inspiration to so many as a result.”
planet HOCKEY 71 “Kate exemplifies many many qualities you wish to see at the very highest levels of sport, however the one quality that sticks out to me above all others, and the one I feel is within all truly great players, is that of resilience.” Danny Kerry – England and Great Britain’s coach
Other team members have been queuing up to pay their respects to the captain. “Kate epitomises everything that an elite athlete should represent. Her professionalism, her fight and the way she leads the side sets her apart from the rest.” says goalkeeper Maddie Hinch. “It’s difficult to put in to words just how much of a legend she truly is! I look up to her every day. She inspires me to be better and we are blessed to have such a brilliant captain. “Kate has been a consistent rock in the back line for so many years, putting her body on the line and cutting through teams with her eye of the needle passes; these are just a few things that make her the world class player she is. She thoroughly deserves this landmark and recognition.” Lily Owsley, the FIH Rising Star of 2015 echoes Hinch’s sentiments, adding: “Kate is an unbelievable captain, player and friend. The length and success of her career is testament to the hard work she has put in and the ability to drive everyone around her. I feel so honoured and proud that I have been able to play a handful of these caps with her. She’s an absolute legend!” There are certain phrases and recurring themes that come up whenever her team mates speak about Richardson-Walsh. Fight, drive, determination, professionalism, inspiration, world class, leader, dedication and legend are just a few of those. Her no-nonsense, never-say-die attitude as well as her almost telepathic ability to read what an attacker is about to do has made her a thorn in the side of many a striker over the years and has led to Richardson-Walsh becoming a household sporting name as well as a player synonymous with this Great Britain side. The final word goes to the woman herself, who spoke after receiving her 365th cap: “It was a really special moment to be out there today with Helen [Richardson-Walsh]. We’ve played together so many times and we’ve been through so many ups and downs so it was really special to share this with her.” l
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planet HOCKEY 73 74 planet HOCKEY Photo by Grant Treeby
planet HOCKEY 75 t has been awards time over at the International Hockey Federation, with players, coaches, officials and hockey enthusiasts everywhere asked to cast their votes. The nomination lists spanned the continents but in the I final voting there was a distinctly orange feel to the top honours.
HERE IS OUR ROUND-UP OF THE AWARDS:
WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR Netherlands star Lidewij Welten is a winner in every sense of the word. While her team has had to settle for some results that are below their usual high standards, the FIH Women’s Player of the Year has enjoyed another tremendous season. A win in the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Final was followed by a runners-up spot at the EuroHockey Championship and fifth place at the HWL Final in Rosario, Argentina. But even if the team weren’t winning, the silky-skilled midfielder still gathered fans wherever she played. Her winning mentality was best summed up by her response to finishing with a silver medal at the EuroHockey Championships: “We do not like to lose, this is a horrible feeling.” With Welten leading the charge, you can be pretty sure that the Netherlands will be ready to put recent defeats behind them and defend that Olympic title in Rio just seven months from now.
MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR The Netherlands also picked up the FIH Men’s Player of the Year Award, with the vote going the way of Robert van der Horst. The midfielder and Dutch captain has been in impressive form all season, his consistency landing him this award. It was exactly 10 years ago that van der Horst picked up the FIH award for Rising Star of the Year and like last year’s winner, Australia’s Mark Knowles, van der Horst has gone on to enjoy a stratospheric international career, including captaining his country. While van der Horst and his team enjoyed great performances at the HWL Semi-Final in Antwerp and the HWL Final in Raipur, India, it was the final of the EuroHockey Championships in London, last August, when the Netherlands really showed what they are made of. A resounding victory over reigning champions Germany was “the highlight of my career so far,” said van der Horst. Although, with that sort of form, there might be an even greater moment awaiting the 31-year-old in Rio this year.
76 planet HOCKEY Lidewij Welten. Photo by Koen Suyk.
planet HOCKEY 77 Robert van Der Horst. Photo by Frank Uijlenbroek.
Joyce Sombroek. Photo by Frank Uijlenbroek.
78 planet HOCKEY HOCKEY
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planet HOCKEY 79 WOMEN’S GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR A Dutch treble is completed by Joyce Sombroek who has won the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award for the second consecutive season. Sombroek’s strength is her consistently high peel of concentration. Where other ‘keepers have moments of sheer brilliance, Sombroek can always be relied upon to be on her game. Her performances at the HWL Semi-Final in Antwerp were a study in calm composure and, while the Netherlands had to settle for silver in the EuroHockey Championships in London, Sombroek’s performances throughout that event were again first class. Her impressive powers of concentration are the reason that the Netherlands team is able to play with such creativity and flow. When you have a foundation as steady as Sombroek, then the rest of the team can shine. In typically modest fashion, Sombroek paid tribute to her competitors: “I am really happy and honoured to be announced Goalkeeper of the Year! I was pleasantly surprised, especially considering the fact that fellow goalkeepers like Maddie (Hinch) did a great job as well. I would also like to thank my teammates, trainers, family, friends, fans and sponsors for their great support!”
MEN’S GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR Davey Harte is a goal keeper extraordinaire. His performances at the HWL Semi-Final and the EuroHockey Championships bronze medal match are the stuff of legends and were pivotal in Ireland achieving two firsts this year: a bronze medal in a major international (v England in EuroHockey 2015) and a place at the Rio 2016 Olympics. “To be honest it hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Harte on hearing the news of this award. “I am so honoured and proud – all the more so when you consider that so many people had to take the time to vote, to whom I’m very grateful. While it is recognised as an individual award, I certainly know I would never have envisioned reaching such a level without my coaches in school and at underage level, my club Kampong in my second home Utrecht, and of course my Irish team mates, especially my twin brother Conor, and incredible coaching staff. Not to forget of course my family and friends who have been with me from the start, through the highs and the lows. “The year ahead will hopefully only be the beginning of Hockey Ireland competing at major tournaments like Olympic Games and World Cups,” added Harte. “It is a year the players, staff and whole Irish hockey community are looking forward to!”
80 planet HOCKEY Davey Harte. Photoplanet HOCKEY by Grant 81 Treeby. WOMEN’S RISING STAR OF THE YEAR Lily Owsley is a tour de force on the pitch. Fast, hard-working and with a strong mental attitude, the England and Great Britain forward provides a powerful element that has been pivotal to England and Great Britain’s success this year. Owsley herself invariably usually deflects praise onto her teammates when she is being interviewed. After scoring the winning goal against Germany in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals – a win that secured Great Britain’s spot at Rio 2016 – she praised everyone around her for the win. When she scored the last minute goal that took the game to penalty shoot-out against the Netherlands in EuroHockey 2015, it was her teammates who got the praise. So it is no surprise that the skilful, talented and humble forward had this to say on receiving the FIH Rising Star Award: “Individually this is the biggest award I could have won, but really I’m lucky to win it and lucky to have so many fantastic team mates around me. I couldn’t do anything without them making me look good.” Since making her full international debut in 2013, Owsley has amassed 74 combined England and Great Britain caps. With her strong running and habit of popping the ball into the net at just the right moment, she is one of the players certain to figure strongly in coach Danny Kerry’s plans for Rio 2016.
82 planet HOCKEY Lily Owsley. Photo by Frank Uijlenbroek.
planet HOCKEY 83 MEN’S RISING STAR OF THE YEAR
After taking the FIH Rising Star of the Year Award for the second time, Germany’s wonder striker Christopher Ruhr is brimming with enthusiasm for the year ahead. “This is the perfect way to start the Olympic year and gives me a lot of self confidence.” The fact that Ruhr is feeling ever more confident will be of little comfort to his rivals. In the 30 international matches he played in 2015, Ruhr scored 15 goals including six in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals, which Germany won, and a further three at the Hockey World League Final in Raipur. With his speed and power, the young German is one of the most devastating forwards currently playing on the international stage. “I feel very honoured and proud to be the first player who has received this award twice! I could never have done this without all my amazing team mates and staff members of both my former club Alster Hamburg and my new club Rot-Weiss Köln as well as the German national team. “I also am truly thankful to all the people who voted for me and believe in me! Also huge thanks and much love to my family for the strong family ties and the support all the way and especially in 2015.
84 planet HOCKEY Christopher Ruhr. Photo by Frank Uijlenbroek.
planet HOCKEY 85 WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR Karen Brown has spent a lifetime immersed in hockey, firstly as a player and then as a coach. Talk to her and you would never know that this unassuming woman is the most capped female player to represent Great Britain and England, or that she is one of the most highly rated coaches in the game. She is also often held up as an example, both within hockey and across the wider sporting arena, of a role model for women wanting to move into coaching – an area where there remains disparity. In 2015, Brown was part of the coaching team that plotted England’s gold medal win at EuroHockey 2015, plus a tremendous win at the Hockey World League Semi Final in Antwerp. “Getting the Women¹s Coach of the Year Award is a huge honour for me, although I have to say that my role within England and Great Britain¹s success is as one part of a much wider team, so I am a little embarrassed to be singled out of what is a highly skilled coaching and back room staff,” says Brown, “While I am grateful to be recognised I am acutely aware that there are very few female coaches working at the cutting edge of our sport and hopefully this will alter in the coming years” “However, the very positive side of this award is that it also shows that female athletes can become successful coaches. By winning this award, I hope I can act as a role model to other players who want to make the transition from playing to coaching. It does take hard work and sacrifice, but as a player you gain so much knowledge that can be transferable into coaching.”
Karen Brown. Photo by Grant Treeby.
86 planet HOCKEY MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR Men’s Coach of the Year is South African-born coach to the Irish men’s team, Craig Fulton. The coach, who was appointed as head coach to Ireland in 2014, was the mastermind behind Ireland’s successful Hockey World League campaign – the team’s fifth place finish meaning they qualified for the 2016 Olympics. This is the first time Ireland men’s hockey team has qualified for the Olympics in more than 100 years. If that was not enough, Fulton also led his team to bronze in the EuroHockey 2015 Championships, defeating England in the process. This was the first major medal won by the team in modern hockey history. Under Fulton’s leadership, Ireland has climbed to 12th place in the world rankings. On receiving the award, Fulton said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to accept this award from the FIH. We had an amazing year and pushed as hard as we could and got the just rewards in qualifying for Rio and a bronze in the Euros. “This is a collective award for all the players and staff that sacrificed as much as they have over the past 18 months. What an amazing honour to lead this team!” Fulton himself is a double Olympian, having represented South Africa in Atlanta and Athens so, when he says “it will be a challenging year ahead”, he certainly knows what is in store. As well as 191 caps to his name, Fulton has a wealth of coaching experience, not just with Ireland but also with the South African men’s and women’s teams. He will undoubtably be bringing all that experience to bear when the Green Machine take their place in Rio.
Craig Fulton. Photo by Grant Treeby.
planet HOCKEY 87 WOMEN’S UMPIRE OF THE YEAR Michelle Joubert celebrated her golden whistle in Rosario during the Hockey World League Women’s Final. She then took control of the gold medal match between the host nation and New Zealand. The South African umpire is known throughout the game for her fairness, great knowledge of the game and her support for her colleagues, so this was a popular winner of the award – the first time such an award has been given. “I am extremely thankful for this award, especially because it is the first time that this category has been introduced as part of the FIH Annual Awards,” said Joubert. “I do feel that this award could have gone to either Sole, or Irene who were the other nominees. They are both great umpires whom I respect and have learnt so much from.” “Over the past week it has been amazing to see how much support we, as umpires, have and I think that as umpires we feel ‘included’ in the current developments within the hockey world and it makes us feel like we are part of the bigger picture. I hope that the publicity around this specific award has, and will continue to inspire and motivate other umpires, not only at an international level, but also at grass root levels.” Joubert is one of the team of top umpires who will be travelling to Rio for the 2016 Olympics. She spoke of the pressure that umpires feel at events in which the eyes of the world are upon them. “The pressure to perform and to constantly make 100 per cent correct decisions at all times, is definitely felt. Just like in any sport, teams and spectators only really remember the ‘wrong’ decisions, and it is these decisions which we as umpires and officials learn from and try to build on for our next game or tournament. “It is more important for me to focus now on my preparations for on Rio. I hope to build on my successes from 2015 and to be part of an umpiring team that will share in the success of a great spectacle that hockey will provide in Rio.”
MEN’S UMPIRE OF THE YEAR It was 1999 when Nathan Stagno umpired his first international and 16 years later he became the first umpire from Gibraltor and only the 36th male umpire ever, to receive the Golden Whistle for 100 senior international matches. Speaking about his award, the quietly-spoken Stagno said: “First of all, I wasn’t are ware that I was short listed with Hamish (Jamson) and John (Wright), both quite outstanding umpires. For me, coming from one of the smallest hockey-playing countries, you can’t imagine what that this mean to me, my family, my hockey club (Collegians H.C.) and of course to Gibraltar. “Being named top umpire of the year 2015 is another tick in my box in my umpiring career. I would like to especially thank all those who voted for me, a big thank you.” The next few months will be full of both excitement and poignancy for Stagno as he will be umpiring in his second Olympics when he takes charge at Rio 2016, but it will also be his last year at the top-flight of umpiring as he has announced his retirement. But, as he says: “What better way to retire than in Rio with my family watching and among all my umpire friends, both male and female. This is a big year; besides the Olympics I also have the Champions Trophy in Argentina, the EHL KO16 in Amsterdam and EHL Final 4 in Barcelona, I can’t ask for more.” l
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